Bathroom reclining board



April 24, 1934- w. LAMBRl-:cH-r 1,956,221

BATHROOM RECLINING' BOARD Filed March 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l iff u Inventor A 9, william. Lamrech Home y April 24 1934- w. LAMBREcl-n' 1,956,221

BATHROOM RECLINING BOARD Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-SheetI 2 Wa'llt'am amrech By @Maa/5:0.

Invenlor Patented pr. 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE 1,956,221 .BATHROOM RECLINING BOARD William Lambrecht, Milwaukee, Wis. Application March 28, 1933, Serial No. 663,238 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) This invention relates to a bathroom accessory or appliance which is expressly designedl for use in connection with a bathtub and specically made to permit a patient or user to assume a recumbent position when taking an internal bath or injection either as a vaginal douche or enema.

Briefly stated, the preferred embodiment of the invention involves the use of a suitably shaped board and foldable and extensible supporting means whereby to permit the board to be placed in a horizontal plane and supported from the bathtub in a convenient position to permit the user to repose or lie down on the back while taking a douche.

It is a matter of common knowledge that a reclining position is highly recommended for enemas and vaginal douching, in attempting to accomplish effective results by following this recumbent method it has been found inconvenient for the patient to lie in the bathtub or on the floor. Since in either position removal of the clothing is generally required for sanitation and practical results.

With the foregoing objections clearly in mind, I have evolved and produced a simple and economical board which is shaped and proportioned to be supported over the bathtub whereby to permit the occupant to repose thereon while placing the feet rmly against one end of the bathtub.

In perfecting the principles of the inventive conception I have found it expedient and practicable to provide a substantially iiat board one end of which is rounded and the other end which is bifurcated or notched and provided with supporting means to accommodate a removable catch basin or equivalent receptacle.

A further feature of the invention is predicated upon the aforesaid specially designed board having foldable supporting arms arranged in pairs and swingable out to positions for supporting the board firmly from the bathtub, whether it be of the conventional leg elevated type or the flat bottom built in type.

My primary aim is to generally improve upon similar prior art devices developed by others for accomplishing somewhat the same results and to do this through the instrumentality of a structure which is developed along structurally refined and appreciably different lines.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the board show- ,ing the manner in which it is used.

Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the complete device removed from the bathtub.

Figure 5 is an end or edge eleva-tion observing the structure in a direction from right to left.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view.

Figures 7 and 8 are detail sections on the lines 7--7 and 8-8 respectively of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view.

In the drawings the bathtub, which is of the built-in type, is distinguished by the numeral 10. The reclining board, which is substantially rectangular in top plan View is differentiated by the numeral 11. This is of wood or equivalent material and appropriately inishedkto permit it to be waterproof and substantially sanitary. It is of appropriate proportions being approximately a little over one half as long as the ordinary conventional bathtub and it is rounded into semicircular form as indicated at 12 at one end. The opposite end is formed with a uid clearance notch which is accomplished by bifurcating said end of the board as indicated at 13 forming a pair of duplicate furcations 13. 'I'hese are provided on their under sides with hook like suspension' blocks 15 for supporting a removable catch basin, bowl or similar receptacle 16. Adjacent to this and serving as a stop to limit the inward movement of the bowl is a transverse reinforcing cleat 1'7, this being secured to the underside of the board at the manner disclosed. There is a similar transverse cleat in the opposite end of the board. These cleats serve primarily as reinforcing elements and stabilizing means for the supporting arm 19. There are two pairs of these arms and each arm is of duplicate construction and they are arranged as such in the manner shown in Figure 1 so that when they are swung out to right angular supporting position they rest against the cleats 17 and 18 for balancing and stabilizing purposes. The arms extend considerably out beyond the longitudinal edge portions of the board so as to rest on the edges of the tub when in the position shown in Figure 1. Each arm is attached by a pivot and retaining bolt 20 to the central under side of the board both being provided with a thumb nut 21 as shown in Figure 7. This arrangement permits the arms to be swung out to supporting position and fastened by the thumb nuts or swung into the folded dotted line position shown in Figure 4 for compactness and convenience when the device is not in use. This facilitates storage as is obvious.

That portion of the surface of the outer end of the arm which rests on the tub is provided with a strip of rubber or other anti-slipping material 22 to guard against accidental slippage of the board when it is put in useful position. Moreover this same end portion of the arm is provided with a plurality of bolt holes 23 to accommodate bolts 24 which serve to fasten the retention blocks 25 in place. Incidently, the bolts are equipped with thumb nuts 26 and the blocks are adapted to be adjusted either in or out to bear against the inner surface of the wall of the tub as depicted in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The numeral 27 merely designates a hanger rod provided with a bag suspension hook 28 at its upper end and a notched retaining foot 29 at its lower end, the foot being secured to one of the bolts 24 as shown in Figure 3.

The gist of the invention is found in the provision of a longitudinally elongated substantially rectangular smooth top reclining board which is rounded at one end to correspond to the similarly shaped end of the tub and bifurcated at its opposite end to affordclearance means for the fluid allowing it to drip into the pan or bowl 16. The bowl is removably held in place by suspension blocks or hooks 15 and limited in its inward movement by the adjacent cross-cleat 17 as shown in Figure 2.

Additional novelty is predicated upon the use of the transverse longitudinally spaced cleats 17 and 18 which serve to reenforce the transverse dimension of the board and also serve as backing or stabilizing elements for the suspension arms i9 when they are swung out to right-angularly supporting position. Then too, novelty is found in the provision of the anti-slipping rubber pads or plates 22 on the outer under sides of the arms 19 and the adjustable retention blocks 25. Finally the adaptation of the hanger rod 27 has a part of the structure to afford convenient means for hanging the bag is an additional and noteworthy detail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A bathtub reclining appliance of the class described comprising a longitudinally elongated substantially rectangular board rounded at one end and having its opposite bifurcated to define a clearance notch and a pair of opposed furcations, hooked suspension blocks fastened to the underside of said furcations to accommodate a detachable fluid collection receptacle, a transversely disposed cleat secured to the underside of the bifurcated end portion of the board to function as a stop element to limit the inward sliding movement of the receptacle, and eXtensible and foldable supporting elements for said board adapted to rest on the upper edge of the side walls of the tub.

2. A bathtub appliance of the class described comprising a substantially flat board adapted to assume an elevated horizontal position over a tub, means at one end of the board to accommodate a removable fluid trapping receptacle, two pairs of distinguishable supporting arms, the arms being pivotally connected at their inner ends to the under side of the board and the outer ends thereof being swingable outwardly beyond the longitudinal edge portions of the board to bear on the upper edges of the side walls of the tub, the outer end portions of the arms being formed with selectively usable bolt holes and on their under sides with anti-slipping pads, and retaining blocks and bolts selectively connectible to the outer apertured end portions of the arms, the blocks to engage the inner faces of the walls of the tub.

3. A bathtub appliance of the class described comprising a longitudinally elongated substantially rectangular board having a flat top surface, rounded off at one end and having its opposite ends bifurcated to form a clearance notch, hooked blocks secured to the under faces of the furcations to accommodate a removable trip receptacle, a transverse reinforcing and abutment forming cleats secured to the underside of the board adjacent the bifurcated end thereof, a pair of supporting arms having their inner ends rounded and pivotally attached to the under central portion of the board, the arms being adapted when in extended position to bear against the adjacent ends of the cleats, the arms being of a length to extend outwardly beyond the longitudinal edge portions of the board, second transverse cleats secured to the under side of the opposite end portion of the board, a pair of duplicate supporting arms pivotally attached at their inner ends to the underside of the board to bear against the last named cleats, adjustable retaining blocks secured to the outer end portions of all of said arms, and bag suspension means detachably connectible with the board.

WILLIAM LAMBRECHT, 

